Elevator systems normally comprise call-giving appliances both on the floor levels and in the elevator cars, with which appliances calls are given for receiving an elevator car at the call floor and for sending the elevator car to the desired destination floor. So-called destination call systems are also known in the art, in which systems the passenger expresses his/her destination floor already at the departure level, in which case the elevator cars do not necessarily need to comprise call-giving appliances for giving calls. For various reasons many call appliance solutions that are different both visually and in their layout are used both on floor levels and in elevator cars, which solutions e.g. contain a different number of call pushbuttons. The aforementioned call-giving appliances normally comprise pressure switches or touch-sensitive switches, which are disposed in the call panel on the wall of the floor level or of the elevator car. Call panels can also comprise display units, with which information connected to the elevator journey is given to the elevator passengers.
Touch-sensitive displays and other corresponding apparatuses based on touch-sensitive pushbuttons are becoming increasingly more widespread owing to the benefits that they offer. One problem with touch-sensitive displays is, however, that the display elements are manufactured according to certain standard dimensions, in which case implementation of call panels of the desired shape and size is awkward. Especially in cases in which it is desired to dispose a call panel in the elevator car, e.g. on the wall on the side of the door opening of the elevator car, an essentially narrow call panel elongated in the vertical direction is necessary so that it could be disposed in the aforementioned position in the elevator car. A corresponding space problem can arise if it is desired to dispose a call panel on a floor level in the space between adjacent elevator doors. Since the display elements of touch-sensitive displays that are manufactured as mass products are generally 4:3 or 16:9 in aspect ratio, they are not at all suited as such for use in a call panel of elevators within the scope of the set layout requirements. One possible method to solve the aforementioned problem is to dispose a number of touch-sensitive displays in a call panel, in which case integration of the needed functions into an elongated, essentially narrow call panel is possible. The solution, however, easily becomes complex and expensive, because each display element comprises, in addition to the display element itself, also a touch sensor connected to the display element and the control electronics required by it. Furthermore, conventional touch-sensitive displays cannot be protected from environmental impacts nor from vandalism, which easily results in different malfunctions in elevator operation. Since the touch-sensitive surface in conventional touch-sensitive displays covers only the area covered by the display element, the area outside the display elements remains unutilized from the call panel. All in all, conventional touch-sensitive displays set considerable limitations, in relation to layout as well as in relation to appearance, for the design of call panels applicable to elevator use.